Tin can.



J. W. NICHOLS.

TIN CAN.-

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1910.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

JESSE W. NICHOLS, OF' CHIOAGQ, ILLINOIS.

TIN CAN.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

Application filed September 29, 1910. Serial No. 584,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssa W. lflronons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tin Cans, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in. tin cans, and refers more specifically to a can provided-with a removable section surrounded, or partially surrounded, and defined by a weakened line adapted to be opened by a prying-tool.

The salient objects of the present invention are to provide a construction which may be more economically "manufactured and with less liability of making defec ive cans; to provide a construction which is so made that the opening of the can by a prying tool is greatly facilitated, and danger of accident to the person opening the can minimized; and in general, to provide an improved device of the charcter referred to.

For many years so-called key-opening cans have been known and Widely used;

these cans embodying a construction in which a strip ,to be ripped out is defined by a pair of weakened lines. Sometimes the initial. end or tongue of the key-opening can is formed in the intact part of thewall, and when this is the case apunct-ure spot or abnormally weakened starting point has always been provided. Later the type of cans to which the present invention obtains was invented or devised; this type having a separable part outlined or defined by a single weakened line and the separable part being progressively separated by a prying tool. In order that the prying tool may be operated it' is necessary that it be forced through the wall of the can in such manner as 'to break into the weakened line, to thus form a starting point. Heretofore it has been deemed necessary, as it was in the case of key-opening cans, to provide a specifically weakened puncture spot or polnt of abnormally easy entrance for the prying tool. So also it has heretofore been deemed necessary to specially stifi'en or reinforce the margin of the separable or removable section along the weakened line; the belief having obtained that the removable section 0011 d not be properly severed unless thus stiffened.

The present invention resides chiefly in simplification of the constructions of the prior art and in the accomplishment of certain new results, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the drawing-Figure 1 is a plan or end view of an ordinary cylindric can embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a diametrical or axial sectional view th'rou h the end of the can body; this view being shown on a larger scalepFig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing more particularly the manner of applying the prying tool.

In the particular instance shown, the can is one of the slip cover type, but the invention may be equally embodied in cans of other constructions, as for example in the so-called sanitary type. v

In the drawing, 1 designates as a whole the can body, 2 the slip. cover can top ap plied to the can body, and-3 the separable or removable section which constitutes the central part of the can cap or cover 2. The section 3 is surrounded, or partially surrounded, by a continuous weakened line 4, which is a scored mark formed by the use of a suitable die and which weakens the metal along this line to such degree that it will readily tearwhensubjected to the ac-,

tion of a prying tool. I dispense entirely with the usual puncture. spot or point which is specially weakened, and instruct the user to puncture the weakened line t anywhere along its length. To facilitate the opening in the manner last suggested, I preferably slightly "incline the portions of the cap of the can lying each side of the weakened line downwardly or inwardly toward the weakened line, so that the latter lies at the bottom of a trongh-like depression. inclination at the inner side of the weakened line is formed by the periphery of the separable portion which is as a whole slightly convex from the weakened line inwardly. The convexing of this separable portion serves the usual purpose of placing the contents of'the can more effectively under compression when and aftc-r the can with its contents has been processed, as well as contributing to the format on of. the troughdike depression.

The annular space intervening between the weakened line and the rim of the can is inclined, as indicated at 5, and as a fur ther special feature ride in the space 5 a series of outstanding bosses or cogs 6 spaced at regular intervals The of improvement I proapart and adapted to form fulcrum points for the engagement of the tool 7 (see Fig. 3) when properly placed for prying out the separable section. The particular configuration or shape of these outstanding bosses G is not essential; round bosses being shown in the present instance as very readily formed without in any wise weakening the strength of the can. Corrugations otherwise formed would,-of course, perform the same function, the idea being to provide shoulders or fulcrum points which hold the tool from slipping back when leverage pressure is applied to pry up and separate the separable parts.

The operation of opening has been indicated, and consists simply of forcing a suitable tool, as for example a wire nail, through the weakened line and then prying out the separable section by progressively stepping the tool along and prying up each step as it progresses.

It will be noted that, by reason of the fact that the central separable portion of the closure is of uniform thickness and flexibility and uniformly convex throughout its entire outer surface, being free from stifiening ribs or similar locally bent portions, the prying tool engages the extreme edge of the separable portion in the operation of removing the latter, continuously flexing up the marginal part of said separable portion in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and closely vfollowing the line of rupture, thereby more prying tool engages a stiflening rib or bead formed on the excised portion, causing the prying tool to follow a considerable distance behind the line of rupture.

I claim:

1. A pry-open can provided with a weakened line practically surrounding a part adapted to be separated from the can body in opening and itself defining the line of opening, and a series of spaced, integrally formed shoulders arranged along said weakened line and adapted to form successive fulcrum points for the prying tool.

2. A pry-open can having an endclosure provided with a weakened line arranged inside of the rim of the can and substantially surrounding the central portion of the can cap or closure and defining the line of rupture for the removal. of said surrounded portion, and a series of spaced bosses arranged along said weakened line between the latter and the rim of the can and adapted to form successive fulcrum points for a prying tool.

JESSE W. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

EMILIE Rose, ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

